The 2025 Mountain West football schedule begins on August 23 when Fresno State travels to Kansas and Stanford pays Hawaii a visit. Until then, fans are free to speculate on who the league’s top signal caller will be in the upcoming season.
Here are our top five quarterbacks to watch in the new season.
Maddux Madsen | 5’10, 210 | Redshirt Junior | Boise State
Maddux Madsen is coming off a career season in 2024, where he led the Mountain West in passing yards with 3,018 and touchdown passes with 23. The conference passing leader started all 14 games and earned Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors after leading the Broncos to their first College Football Playoff appearance. On film, Madsen does a phenomenal job playing in rhythm. Paired with his quick and compact release, he consistently puts the ball in play right after reaching the top of his drop or slightly after—displaying a solid understanding of the offense. Madsen is also a threat outside the pocket as both a passer and runner. In 2024, he rushed for 221 yards and five touchdowns. Many around college football expect Madsen to be the top quarterback in the Mountain West for a second straight year, despite the departure of offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and the promotion of Nate Potter.
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi | 6’2, 200 | Redshirt Junior | Colorado State
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi enters the 2025 season as a seasoned veteran for the Rams, having taken over the starting role early in 2023. He garnered Honorable Mention All-Mountain West honors after leading the conference in total offense with 3,433 yards. Fowler-Nicolosi started all 13 games in 2024 and finished third in the conference in passing yards with 2,768. As far as pure arm strength goes, Fowler-Nicolosi is at the top of the list. He can deliver passes to all areas of the field with power and velocity—in rain, snow, wind, or from a muddied pocket with defenders in his lap—Fowler-Nicolosi delivers consistently in a way that pops off the screen. Along with his arm strength, Fowler-Nicolosi is also a threat outside the pocket, rushing for 75 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.
Bryson Barnes | 6’2, 205 | Senior | Utah State (Previous School: Utah)
Bryson Barnes heads into the 2025 season with 33 games played and 14 starts between Utah and Utah State. Nine of those games and three of those starts came in 2024 with the Aggies, where he totaled 1,386 yards of offense and 17 touchdowns. Barnes set a Utah State single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback after coming off the bench in the second quarter against San Diego State—rushing for 193 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while also throwing for 139 yards and three scores. On tape, Barnes’ dual-threat ability has been well documented throughout his time as both a Ute and an Aggie. After mostly splitting time with Spencer Petras in 2024, Aggie fans and college football observers can expect a different-looking offense in 2025—one where the quarterback is central to explosive plays both through the air and on the ground.
Walker Eget | 6’3, 228 | Redshirt Senior | San Jose State
Walker Eget made his starting debut in 2024 against Wyoming—the first of seven starts in a season where he played in 12 games. He finished as the sixth-leading passer in the conference after throwing for 2,504 yards on 188 completions with 13 touchdowns. One thing Spartan fans should be excited about is how well Eget played against top competition. His best game came against Boise State, when he went 34-of-50 (68%) for 446 yards and three touchdowns. Eget excels in the deep passing game and has no issue driving the ball downfield. Multiple times on film, he completes throws from the opposite hash with ease—a testament to his arm strength.
Micah Alejado | 5’10, 180 | Redshirt Freshman | Hawaii
Micah Alejado arrived at Hawaii as one of the program’s most decorated recruits, having led Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) to three straight state championships and earning Nevada Gatorade State Player of the Year honors. He spent most of last season as Brayden Schager’s backup, but in his first significant action against Utah State, Alejado impressed—going 11-of-12 (91%) for 111 yards and a touchdown. He then exploded onto the scene in a season finale against bowl-contending New Mexico, leading the Warriors to a win while throwing for 469 yards and five touchdowns. Alejado looked like a perfect fit in Hawaii’s Run and Shoot offense—an offense in which program legends like Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan once thrived. His performance was reminiscent of those record-breaking days, throwing all over the field while remaining efficient, finishing 37-of-57 (65%) that night.
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